Sistas’ Place, 456 Nostrand Avenue, at the corner of Jefferson Avenue, where Jazz: A Music of the Spirit Lives and Culture is our Weapon, continues its 21st season with the music of Resistance, Resilience and Resurgence. On Saturday, April 29, 2017, at 9 and 10:30pm, Ahmed Abdullah’s Diaspora performing Sun Ra Returns, A synergistic Jazz Opera with saxophonist Don Chapman, pianist/vocalist Donald Smith, bassist Radu Ben Judah, drummer Ronnie Burrage, vocalist/narrator Monique Ngozi Nri, and choreographer/dancer Mickey Davidson.Sun Ra Returns was created by Ahmed Abdullah and Tine Kindermann as a means of identifying and celebrating the habits of leadership that are so significantly missing in our country today. The opera offers, through a science fiction exploration, built around the life of Sun Ra, after he leaves Planet Earth, the possibility of renewal and resurgence.

Sun Ra Returns was created by Ahmed Abdullah and Tine Kindermann as a means of identifying and celebrating the habits of leadership that are so significantly missing in our country today. The opera offers, through a science fiction exploration, built around the life of Sun Ra, after he leaves Planet Earth, the possibility of renewal and resurgence.

We call this month-long series Brass Players at Sistas’ Place. The other brass players featured in this festival series include trumpeter Robert Rutledge and French hornist Vincent Chancey.

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“Sun Ra Returns”, is a synergistic Jazz puppet opera, originally conceived by former Sun Ra Arkestra trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, who currently teaches music at PS 3 and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and internationally acclaimed visual artist Tine Kindermann. The production combines tenets of PS 3’s school wide Leadership program, “The Leader in Me,” Stephen Covey’s innovative Seven Habits of Highly Effective People repackaged for public and private schools, along with the futuristic lyrics and music of Sun Ra expressed through a different new medium, a puppet opera. This science fiction epic takes the audience to Saturn, back to planet Earth and then to Saturn again.

Ahmed Abdullah, a trumpeter who worked with Sun Ra for a span of 22 years and who has led his own bands since 1972, has organized the music and will lead an ensemble comprised of PS 3 students, New School students and guest artist from own band, Diaspora including Donald Smith, Piano, Radu Ben Judah, Bass, Monique Ngozi Nri, vocals and narration. The Teaching Artists involved with this year’ production are Choreographer Kitty Lunn and puppet creator Jon Riddleberger.

This production, coordinated by Carol Prud’homme Davis, SBT Managing/ArtsEd Director and Ahmed Abdullah, includes all of the disciplines of the arts: music, poetry, dance, visual arts and theater, and provides a rare opportunity for elementary school students to work with college students and professional musicians.

For Information:

Shadow Box Theater: Carol Prud’homme Davis
917 607 7922 cpdavis@shadowboxtheatre.org

Ahmed Abdullah: 917 667 1246 www.ahmedian.com